First In The Rain
by Basmathgirl
Summary: Set after Midnight and in a fluffy AU, the Doctor and Donna are a couple on a date. In fact it's their first date that's a date rather than not-a-date.


**Prompt:** The words 'summer rain' and 'first date' set by sczep84; and the Travellers' Tales prompt #1 'chosen' at doctor_donna.

**Summary:** Set after Midnight in a fluffy AU where the Doctor and Donna are a couple on a date.

**Disclaimer:** The only part of Doctor Who I own is my imagination.

* * *

Their last date but not-a-date had been planned for the planet Midnight. That day had changed both their lives, changed them by making them realise they needed to take chances with each other and not other people. When he'd offered for them to arrange something on their next planet they'd both been aware that the arrangement was a proper date that was-a-date. That's why it had been so special then. And why it was so special now.

The people of Gunerius X had been the usual grateful for the Doctor's intervention into the attempt to poison their children. They'd both been presented with a basket of local delicacies, jewellery, books about their culture, fertility symbols and a mysterious envelope. Popping it open back home on the TARDIS, Donna found a gilded invitation to enjoy a romantic dinner for two at a restaurant of their choice within the next 6 lunar cycles. "And I thought they hadn't assumed we were a couple," Donna grinned. "At least we didn't have to do the usual denial dance."

"No, and we still don't have to if… if you think we should, maybe, use the voucher" he looked adorable as he stammered his date offer. Some confidence had clearly been knocked out of him. Donna couldn't let him stay that way, it contravened her vows as best friend, that is if she had made any in the first place.

She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Where do you fancy eating, Spaceman? You've always chosen good places to eat in the past. I trust you to chose somewhere I'd like."

His answering grin had almost split his face in two. "I think I know just the right place. Care to escort me Ms Noble?"

"Certainly Dr Noble" and they both laughed at her in-joke.

* * *

The restaurant he chose was the nearest Gunerius X had to a Balti house. The Doctor knew from experience that Donna loved curries but couldn't cook them for toffee! The restaurant sat next to a river, and was built around a quadrangle open to the air that housed a dance floor. Donna eyed the dance floor wistfully. It would be so nice to get the chance to dance, but since when did any straight man offer to do that with her unless he was drunk or extremely aroused? She couldn't imagine the Doctor doing either. He had caught the look, unbeknown to her, and knew what she must be thinking.

"So what type of curry do you fancy tonight, Donna?" he resisted the urge to hold her hand, for now.

She made no pretence to understand the menu. "Something close to seafood, shrimps, prawns, or whatever. And don't smirk at me! I know what you're thinking."

"And what am I thinking, Donna? Because I bet you can't guess." He sparkled at her.

She had to nip that thought in the bud. "You're getting your hopes up 'cos I've chosen something that's an aphrodisiac!"

"Is it? I hadn't realised! Are you trying to tell me something?" he teased.

"No, I'm not. Not this time anyway. I mean in this instance, not as in this date… and stop giving me enough rope to hang myself!" she sighed.

"Oh, I think you're doing that all by yourself! And why would I want you to do such a thing?" he grinned.

"Yeah. You'd have to cook all your own dinners for a start!" She couldn't imagine him doing that.

"I'll have you know that I coped before you came along."

"I think that just about sums it up! You barely coped." They both giggled.

"Are you trying to insult Martha's cooking? Because you're on dodgy ground with that one," he cautioned her.

"Ah yes! The Sainted Martha," she teased.

A waiter swished up and took their order at that point. Some sort of music played softly in the background and low lights were lit. "So what do you think of it? Is it heavy enough on the romantic for you?" he asked her.

"Hmm… I think the company has the final bearing on that decision," she stated. "But it's good so far. The restaurant I mean, before you ask, and I know you will."

"You know me too well at times" he smiled.

"Only at times? I thought I was close to all the time" she smirked.

"You're close to a lot of things all the time," he said enigmatically.

"Is that in a good way or a bad way?" she asked.

He sniffed as he considered this. "A good way. A very good way!" But he couldn't keep the smile from his face.

The food was excellent, and almost completely captured their attention for a while. They chatted idly about the day, when they needed to shop for food next, the weirdoes she had met during the year she searched for him, and the benefits of wearing Converses.

As they finished eating, the background music suddenly changed to something Donna recognised. "Doctor, do you hear that? It's…" She turned back towards him after looking to see where the music was coming from to find him standing next to her with an outstretched hand.

"Would you care to dance with me Ms Noble?" he winked at her.

"You sly… ! How did you know?" she took his hand.

"Because I also know _you_," he stressed as he led her onto the dance floor and began to move them gracefully but slowly.

Donna felt that for a small moment she had died and gone to heaven. She leant against him and let him take complete control. "So what sort of things do you know about me?" she couldn't resist asking.

"Let me see," he breathed into her ear, leaving goosebumps in its wake. "You love the colour purple, you still secretly like Pringles, you're a wonderful daughter, the bestest best friend ever, and you think I'm devilishly handsome."

"Do I? A devil maybe, though I'm not sure about the rest of it."

"What? You've given up on purple then?" he pretended to be shocked.

She chuckled. "As if that would ever happen. No, I meant the bit about thinking you're handsome. Getting a bit above ourselves there aren't we?"

"Don't know about you, but I always like to take the moral high ground."

"Yeah. I had noticed!"

"Is there anything else you've noticed?" he asked in a low tone.

"Why? What else is there?"

"I thought you might have noticed that I wanted to do this," and he kissed her. A slow, careful kiss that was teetering on just this side of passionate. Donna moved her hands up to around his neck, opened her lips and kissed him back with equal enthusiasm.

Spit spots of rain broke them from their embrace. They looked up to see more raindrops on their way down. Warm splashes fell on their faces.

"My mum used to say this type of rain was angels crying softly," Donna whispered to him.

"If they are, it's with relief," he replied before kissing her again.

"You are _such _a romantic," she murmured when she got the chance.

* * *

"Do you remember the first time we came here?" the Doctor asked her as they looked across the river.

"Yeah! Our first date that was a date," Donna smiled. "It seems like such a long time ago."

"'Cos it was," he chuckled, and pulled her close to him. "But not much else has changed since then."

"Speak for yourself, Spaceman! Mr I'm-all-right-cos-I'll age-gracefully" she playfully swatted his arm and he acted pained in return.

"And what makes you think you've not aged gracefully?" he teased her.

"Oh, I intend to age as disgracefully as possible! Just you see," she laughed.

"Mummy, is this the place where it rained on you?" asked her eldest son.

"Yes, darling. Do you like it here?" Donna adjusted his tie for him.

"Erm… yes. But it seems a bit of a cheap place to bring a date," he mused.

"Why's that?" Donna asked, noticing how the Doctor's attention was caught by this opinion.

"'Cos Daddy chose it so that he wouldn't have to pay," her son stated matter of factly.

The Doctor laughed heartily.

.

.


End file.
